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Thread: EDC Qualifications

  1. #1
    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    Default EDC Qualifications

    What are your qualifications for an EDC knife.

    I am not talking about a 'bushcraft" blade or your "big chopper" or what is best for splitting firewood, stripping treebark, digging roots and building shelters.

    I am, talking about the 99.99999% of your life you spend in the part of the world that has come to consider knife carrying less than civilized. The part where most tasks involve opening mail, scraping the rough spot off the fingernails and peeling that cooy stuff after you pulled a sticker off something. But the thought is always in your mind that you might have to cut a seatbelt or shatter a car window before the end of the day.

    Lack of sharp corners to wear on the pockets and clothing became a concern way back when I was a kid when Mom announced that my current pocket knife had to go due to wearing out my pants. It still makes a difference to me. I will abandon a good blade in a heartbeat if I see it is causing undue wear on expensive clothing, or even cheap clothing for that matter.

    Concealibility is an issue too. Knives print just like guns.

    I even have a decided preference on which way the pocket clip must face and the size of the lanyard hole.

    The result of these preferences is a Stellite container 18 inches by 24 inches and a foot deep filled with internet purchased knives I carried for a few days and dropped in the box due to one or another defect that irritated the crap out of me. I am sure I could pay my bills for a couple of months if I could get back full retail on all of them.

    I have always thought that if I was going to spend huge money on a custom knife it would be a folder made precisely to my specs for EDC pocket carry, not a fixed blade.

    What are your expectations?
    Last edited by kyratshooter; 07-14-2012 at 11:39 AM.
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    I have been packing the same folder for near 30 years.........SCHRADE "Old Timer" model 51 OT (The OT stands for Old Timer). It has a custom flap belt sheath. I use it for everything from cutting Roof Shingles to digging dirt. And as I sleep fully dressed, it is my EDC & ENC a true 24 hour a day carry tool.

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    Senior Member Graf's Avatar
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    I have been carrying a knife since I was 8 years old over 40+ years now. The thought of a 8 year old carrying a knife nowadays would scare many, heck we even had them in school. Usally 3"-4" blades. never had a problem. I still carry a large blade for self defense and a multi tool, just a country boy born and breed! As far as what I look for in a EDC that would be my multi tool I use the saw, and straight blade the most but boy those pleirs sure are handy.
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    Senior Member Daniel Nighteyes's Avatar
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    Being as I am home most of the time, twiddling my fingers and waiting to hear from job applications I have submitted, I usually don't carry a knife. If I'm away from home I'm generally in my car, and there are always a couple of knives in there. If I'm riding my bicycle I have a small two-blade folder that a friend gave me for Christmas.

    When I did have an EDC knife, it was either a Swiss Army Super-Tinker or a Ken Onion Leek.

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    Super-duper Moderator Sarge47's Avatar
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    Cool Well, since you asked...

    When I'm home bound or in town my EDC knife is my Victorinox Explorer. It's a small, knife, about half the thickness of the Swiss Champ, but I find that i use the can opener on it more than any of the other blades with the Phillips screwdriver coming in at a close 2nd. If I need a bit bigger knife I add the Buck Multi-tool. I will add a nice fixed blade when out in the woods.
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    Senior Member natertot's Avatar
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    I carry the Boker AK74. About a three inch blade, opens with the push of a button since most of the time you have one hand to work with. keeps a fair edge, too. No wearring on the clothes from it and isn't noticable unless one looks for it. Good enough for this guy!
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  7. #7

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    1- Concealibility (here in Spain, "weapons" law is very strict).
    2- Tough enough to baton with it (in case of TSHTF situation).
    3- To be a survival tool more than a knife.
    4- ... And it have to cut, too

    Mi choice, the CRKT RSK mk5. Designed by Doug Ritter.

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    KY - I have three. Just depends on which day it is. I carried a three blade Scrade Old Timer for ever. It's still my EDC when I dress up. It just seems to go better with khakis than bib overalls. I was given a Victorinox Swiss Army Classic SD in the Christmas Exchange and that little rascal goes everywhere with me. It's on my key chain (thanks again, by the way, I really do love it). Finally my ED EDC is a Kershaw Onion. All three are small, unobtrusive, carbon blades, don't gouge, pinch or poke and work when I need them to. I've had more than one employee I wish I could say the same about.
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    Senior Member cowgirlup's Avatar
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    I had my first fixed blade at 6 and a couple of folders.

    I have 2 favorite EDC knives. I love the Leek so much I bought 2. I like the slim design and light weight. The light weight is a plus for us girls since I usually wear it in the back of my waist band and the heavier knives tend to flip out and land in the toilet when you have to go potty. ( It only happened once. All the other times I managed to keep it from falling in.) The assisted open is kind of nice too. My second fave is a Smith and Wesson HRT with a partially serrated blade and a little thumb tab to open. Still a nice slim design but a more solid blade and a little heavier.

    I tend to go for slimmer folders. They are pretty comfortable to wear and I want an easy open.
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  10. #10
    Senior Member Winter's Avatar
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    I do construction, so I abuse my edc. Now I carry either an outdoor edge magna or a CRK&T stubby razel.

    That stubby razel is a beast of a tiny knife. I have 2 now as the first one it worn out from being hammered through every construction material I know of.

    Not working, I have a boker stag trapper folder, and a couple custom pocket fixed blades. I like a pretty knife when appropriate.
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    Senior Member Daniel Nighteyes's Avatar
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    Oh, I forgot to include the details. My preferred EDC is the Super-Tinker because it will do just about anything I need to do in the work-world and its shape/size makes it easy to carry. For times when I already have too much in my pockets, or when concealability is needed, I carry the Ken Onion Leek. I clip it to the belt loop of my cell-phone pouch, between my belt and the waist-band of my pants. (This isn't exactly easy to visualize.) It rides very nicely there, but requires a bit of effort to deploy.
    Last edited by Daniel Nighteyes; 07-16-2012 at 04:18 PM.

  12. #12

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    I carry athree bladed case,and Schrade lock blade everywhere I go ,usually carry a fixed blade when in woods

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    Most certainly my Schrade 3 blade Old Timer (34OT). It will absolutely cut a seatbelt, but have never had to break a car window with it so not sure about that part.

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    Super Moderater RangerXanatos's Avatar
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    For the past couple of years I've been carrying a Ka-Bar folding Dozier. Around a 3" blade in AUS 8 steel, lockback, and tip up carry pocket clip. What I want right now is a 3" folding knife in a scandi-grind, a high carbon or higher end stainless steel, a pretty wood handle, a deep tip up pocket clip carry, and a lockback or something similar to the axis lock system. A pretty handle should make it a little bit more sheeple friendly, I like the performance of a scandi-grind, a tough steel will take a sharp edge, I feel more secure with a lockback over a liner lock, and a deep carry to keep from losing it as easy.

    I was very close to getting this one in D2 or s30v. In about 6 months they will make a couple of changes and the clip will allow a deep carry. Still will be a liner-lock, though. I may have to put it off longer as I hit a deer Saturday night and will have to fix my car, first.
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    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    Around here hitting a deer means a couple of weeks good eatin'.

    Did they write you a ticket?

    Here in KY if you are not driving a properly sized deer smasher they will write you a ticket for killing deer with a subcaliber vehicle. I think it has something to do with the vehicle outweighing the deer or some other standard. That is why we have so many pickups here, most of them pass the standard. It is also easier to get to the gunrack in the back window. That is difficult in a sedan.
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    Super Moderater RangerXanatos's Avatar
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    It was around 10:00 at night after a heavy rain with still lots of cloud cover. So it was REALLY dark and the roads were wet. Before I hit it, I slowed down, kept the wheel straight, and got it with the driver's side of my car. My hood, fender, and door were all dented up, and I need to replace my headlight and side light assembly. I don't know if I broke it's neck, or stunned it and person after me killed it. Either way, when I checked it out, it was dead and beat up.

    My girlfriend has been anxious for deer season to come back in as she wants to get the hide and try doing some leather work. She was with me and I told her I got a deer for her. She said she didn't want me to get her one that way. Women, just no pleasing them...
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    KY - It's also easier to toss a deer in the back of a pickup than to put it in the trunk of a subcaliber auto. With the added advantage that if they are only stunned it's a lot easier for them to get out.
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    Senior Member natertot's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    KY - It's also easier to toss a deer in the back of a pickup than to put it in the trunk of a subcaliber auto. With the added advantage that if they are only stunned it's a lot easier for them to get out.

    HA HA HA! That actually happened to my grandpa when I was about 4 or 5 years old. He had a early to mid 80's Ford LTD. He hit a deer and threw it in the trunk. For whatever reason, he had no idea that the deer had came to. My grandpa opened the trunk and that deer ran his a$$ over in return!
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Shouldn't there be qualifications in order to carry an EDC?
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